October 16, 2025

Audit Review Bottlenecks: Why Partners Are Stuck Reviewing Forever

41 minutes

Sam and Abdullah tackle the audit review bottleneck crisis that leaves partners reviewing work papers late into the night. Sam explains how the problem starts at the preparer level with incomplete work papers, continues through rushed senior reviews, and ultimately creates massive stress when everything piles up at the partner level right before deadlines. From implementing internal milestone deadlines to creating common review comment libraries, this conversation reveals why treating the external deadline as your actual deadline is setting your firm up for failure, and what to do about it

(00:00) - Welcome to Audit Smarter

(00:23) - Identifying the Root Problem

(01:00) - The Importance of Proper Preparation

(02:54) - Self-Review and Documentation

(04:15) - Challenges with Senior Review

(04:46) - The Partner's Perspective

(07:02) - Signs of a Bottleneck

(12:17) - Managerial Challenges

(20:21) - The Need for Internal Deadlines

(21:00) - Establishing Internal Deadlines

(21:40) - Avoiding Last-Minute Bottlenecks

(24:03) - Effective Self-Review Techniques

(25:43) - Pre-Review Checklists

(27:45) - Turning Reviews into Learning Opportunities

(33:22) - Documenting Common Errors for Training

(36:18) - The Importance of Internal Deadlines

(38:32) - Long-Term Benefits of Fixing Bottlenecks

(40:44) - Conclusion and Next Topic Preview

Learn more at https://mansouradvisory.com/

Connect with Sam
https://www.linkedin.com/in/sam-mansour-cpa-2a755b271

Connect with Abdullah
https://www.linkedin.com/in/abdullah-mansour-454959108

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This podcast is a production of the Earmark Media

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